im just getting started on building up the engine, and i was wondering on what i should do to start it up... ive got about 400 dollars right now and just dont know where to start under the hood... ive already gotten a new muffler, so thats out of the way for now, a little later i plan on moving up to 3" pipes, any ideas? thanks to any reply

 

Headers, rear end gears or, a cold air intake are usually good mods to start out with.

 

Catback & CAI...then headers

 

which catback system should i get, and any recomendations for which cold air intake to use

 

I have the SLP CAI and it works good plus I think it looks great. There are also many other brands that offer the same performance you just have to pick one you like.

 

gears, the difference between 2.73s and 3.73s was like night and day. felt like I added 50 hp.
I kept a record of all the basic mods I did to my car, including track times...
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/520908/2 ...if you want to check that out.

 

Borrowed this from ls1tech.com:

Intake Components: Moroso, K&N, SLP, IRS, Hypertech(Air Foil), etc.
Cold Air Intake(CAI) - $150 to $300 - Replaces the stock Air Box and Filter with larger filter(K&N Usually) and better flowing intake tract that connects to the MAF Sensor.
Mass Air Flow Sensor Ends(MAF Ends) - $50 to ? - Replaces stock MAF ends and Maf screen with a ported set of MAF Ends that still utilize the original MAF Sensor.
1LE Elbow - Approx $70 - Replaces the stock unit with a smoother unit that does away with the silencer(the donkey dong on the bottom of the stock elbow).
Air Foil/Air Charger - $30 to $60 - Bolts to the front of the Stock Throttle Body to smoothen out the airflow going into the intake.
Throttle Body(TB) - Starting around $320 for a 52MM or 58MM BBK which is the most often purchased TB, or you can port them yourself free of charge if you have a dremel at your disposal.

Exhaust Components: Hooker, Mac, BBK, SLP, Borla, Flowmaster, FLP, Edlebrock, Magnaflow to an entirely fabricated exhaust system(Kooks)
Catback Exhaust - $250 to Custom - A performance exhaust system that starts after the catalytic converter and generally includes all pipes, the mufller, and tips.
Headers - $300 to Custom - Shorties include Hooker, Mac, Edlebrock, BBK, etc. and Longtubes include Hooker, FLP, etc. and custom setups from Kooks and other manufacturers.
Y-Pipes - $250 to Custom - Y-Pipes are generally included in Shorty Header systems but not always and are rarely included in Longtube Header systems. Y-Pipes are shaped like a "Y" and connect both header collectors to the I-Pipe which connects to the Muffler System.
Cutout/Electric Cut-Out $30/$200 - Exhaust dump best placed infront of the cats or as far down the I-Pipe as possible if you wish to stay emmisions legal.

Suspension: BMR, ALSTON, HOTCHKIS, LAKEWOOD, LG, ETC
Sub-Frame Connectors(SFC's) - $All Ranges - Tube'd or Box'd versions that connect the front section of the car's frame to the rear section of the car's frame providing a more stable, tighter, and properly handling ride.
Sway Bar Kits - $350 to ? - Keeps the car from "rolling" in the turns.
Lower Control Arms(LCA's) - $95 to Custom - Connects the axle to the rear subframe. Aftermarket LCA's replace the stock stamped steel LCA's with more solid/rigid units that are generaly bought to greatly enhance straight line performance. Generally used to eliminate wheel-hop as well.
Panhard Rod(PHR) - $100 to Custom - Used to align the rear end once the car has been lowered or heavily modified suspension wise. Greatly increases the cornering stability and helps keep the back end of the car centered under hard cornering situations.
Torque Arm - $150 to $600 and up - One end connects to the rear end of the transmission and the other connects to the Rear End housing. Helps keep the car "planted" without robbing the car of Tq and HP.

Gears: GM, Motive, Richmond, Moser, Strange, etc.
3.23:1, 3.42:1, 3.73:1, 4.10:1 - $179 to $300 - You can greatly increase a vehicles acceleration while only slightly reducing top speed by changing the gear ratio from a taller gear(3.23:1) to a shorter gear(3.73:1).

Misc. :
160 Degree Thermostat - $20 - A thermostat which opens at a lower temperature allowing the car to run cooler, usually used in conjunction with a Hypertech Power Programmer or a Fan Switch that allows you to turn the fans on earler as well.
Underdrive Pullies(Crank and Alternator) - $60 to $100 - These pullies are resized and replace the stock pullies allowing the motor to free up some lost HP that was formerly used to turn the accessories. The pullies free up HP by turning the accessories slower requiring less effort from the motor.
MSD Ignition Box(MSD6A or MSD6AL) - $150 to $250 - Provides a stronger and more accurately timed spark to more efficiently burn mixed gases in the combustion chamber.
Maunal Fan Switch - $75 to Nothing- Used to manualy turn the radiator fans on and off when needed. TO do so for free, all you need is an automotive relay, switch, and some wire....10bucks at radioshack
Short Throw Shifters For M6 Cars(B&M, Hurst) - $160+ - Installed to provide a shorter and more accurate shift.
Hypertech Power Programmer - ~$330+ - Used to lower fan activation temperatures, rev limiters, fuel curve, gear ratio's, change in tire size, etc.
Tunercat - An alternative to hypertech that will allow you to manualy adjust a larger variety of settings within the PCM.
Weight Loss - FREE!!! - Any thing that you can do without on the car and are willing to yank out. Weight is the ultimate name of the game and you will see the most gains from weight loss..weight is 90% of racing.

.........The most often asked question is "what are the first mods I should do to increase my car's performance?". Basically, all a car wants/needs to make more power is air. Increase the amount of air going into and out of the motor and you will increase the power output. Best way to do this is to increase the volume of air going into the motor while also maintaining a high air velocity. The first few mods installed on the car should be purchased to accomplish this. First and foremost, the most productive component you can install to get the most power from your stock car is the CAI. From there, most people move on to installing the Catback exhaust. Dont buy a complete longtube exhaust system with custom piping, no cats, and cutout expecting to see maximum gains when you havent touched the intake system yet. You always want to try and balance out the intake and exhaust system so that you have an equally balanced motor, otherwise you are leaving power out on the table. First few power mods should be a complete intake system and complete exhaust system(CAI, MAF Ends, Airfoil or TB, Header, Y-pipe, Catback or Cutout). Once you have accomplished this, then you have a good solid base from which to build a stout, internally modified motor. Basically, being able to get the air into and outta the motor as fast as possible will create the most power. If you plan on roadracing, the best thing you can do to increase the performance of your car is to add a nice suspension setup for it. Just like in the quartermile, large amounts of power in a car without suspension is useless, but even moreso on a roadcourse. Putting the power to the ground is just as important as making power. Generally speaking, to increase straight line performance, LCA's are most effective while PHR's, Sway Bars, and SFC's are most effective in eliminating body roll and flexing. Spring and Shock kits are most effective in eliminating bounce, weight transfer, body roll, dive in braking, etc..........